Deadliest Catch: Josh Fullmer keeps his promise

FORT WORTH, Texas May 13, 2014 — Deadliest Catch premiered for the tenth time on the Discovery Channel last month. Still an unequivocal hit after all these years it recently garnered the number one spot for males aged 25-54. It is easy to see why the show’s captains receive requests for employment on a regular basis from young men who think they have what it takes to fish the Bering Sea.

One such man is Josh Fullmer who appeared on the show in season 7. He is notorious for quitting on Captain Scott (Jr.) Campbell of the F/V Seabrooke a week after arriving at Dutch Harbor.

I had the opportunity to talk to Fullmer about his time on the F/V Seabrooke, the aftermath, what he is up to now and what the future holds for him.

Josh holding a crab – (courtesy Josh Fullmer)

This native of Idaho Falls, Idaho lives in Boise with his partner Joelle and their children. Captain Campbell hired Josh after he received a letter entreating him for a job. Fullmer says he went to Dutch Harbor with the expectation of hard work and to, “Give it my all, don’t complain and work.” However, it was a lot more arduous than he ever imagined.

Nine days after starting work aboard the F/V Seabrooke and two hours into the actual fishing he was ready to blow because of the castigation he got from the rest of the crew. The level of mental strain was unexpected and more than he could handle. In the past he worked with broken feet, hands, toes but Josh had never dealt with that level of verbal aggression from his co-workers before. When he quit he lost the respect of the captains, crews and even fans.

“Yes, fans were the worst. I’ve had everything in the book said to me….”

Which begs the question: What possible way would fans be hurt, let alone enough to merit such a response?

Captain Campbell not only lost a crew member that left the others to have to work twice as hard all season, he lost a lot of money too. The crews and other captains have all been in Josh’s shoes themselves and didn’t fail their captains or shipmates. The loss of their respect and unwillingness to give Fullmer another try is understandable. But the fans? What warranted the name calling, judgment and pretension? Were their lives really so violated to justify such a response?

However, that didn’t stop the would-be crabber from giving up. Josh Fullmer was bound and determined to be a fisherman one way or another and set out to prove himself.

First stop, After the Catch (2011.) When asked how he felt facing Captain Campbell and the other captains and crew Josh said, “Good, I did it to carry on my name in the sense that I’m not going away. [It’s the]Same with the greenhorn special. I wanted people to know I was on a path and wasn’t giving up.”

All were polite but didn’t seem to believe he would make good on his word. Undeterred it made Josh that much more determined to succeed.

In June 2012 he finally landed another job fishing sockeye salmon in Cook Inlet. In 2013 he fished for salmon in Bristol Bay. Fullmer also processed during the 2014 Opie season on the F/V Baranof, one of the toughest boats out there. His employers were happy with his performance and invited him back to work there anytime.

Fullmer working aboard the F/V Seabrooke (Discovery Channel)

Josh says that Jr. wanted nothing to do with him after his abrupt departure. He begged the captain for a year to take him back to no avail but kept in contact with the skipper. It is important to him that the captains and crewmen know that he is still fishing and is not going away. He believes he is worth another shot and hopes to work the deck for Jr. again.

“I was ready the day I’d realized I quit the best means to feed my family that I’ve ever had. That I’d disgraced my father’s name as well as my own. That I’d given up so easily what I’d worked so hard for.”

His efforts have been well worth it. Captain Blake Painter from DC seasons 1 and 2 recently asked Jr. if he knew anyone to hire for pot cod fishing this past spring. The skipper gave Painter Josh’s name.

He has almost come full circle. Josh was not able to work for Blake then but will be the first person Captain Painter calls when he needs another crew member for the next pot cod season.

Throughout all this Josh has learned his limits and how to exceed them. “They said I’d never get another fishing job again, and because of this I did.” He goes on,“Life is tough and with that said, I believe, people need to also be tough.” The stalwart Fullmer now has three great references from his last three skippers.

Veterans say crabbing is just as mentally and emotionally taxing as it is physically exhausting. Most newcomers can’t hack it, especially the ones who think it’s easy. Josh agrees.

Fullmer harbors no ill will towards Captain Campbell, the captains or crew members and is diligent in his efforts to earn their respect and won’t stop until he has it. It is worth that much to him.

In the meantime he does concrete work while looking for fishing jobs and wants to fish full time. Fullmer works hard to take care of his family and makes sure they have everything they need. He has high hopes that crabbing will be part of how he ensures that fact.

In the future Josh plans “to live happy and as free as I can. Continue to grow with my family and be a good father and partner. To make a name for myself in my community and to over all be successful.”

Looks like he already is.

Fullmer aboard the F/V Baranof – (courtesy Josh Fullmer)

**********

Another heartfelt thank you to Helen Ruckman for the suggestion of this piece and helping me to make it happen.

This article is the copyrighted property of the writer and Communities Digital News, LLC. Written permission must be obtained before reprint in online or print media. REPRINTING CONTENT WITHOUT PERMISSION AND/OR PAYMENT IS THEFT AND PUNISHABLE BY LAW.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

FORT WORTH, Texas April 22, 2014 — Captain Grant Harris may not be a household name, but for those who watch Deadliest Catchon the Discovery Channel the name is certainly familiar.

Harris cracking crab legs over a sink

The retired skipper is the father of the late Captain Phil Harris and grandfather to Josh Harris and his brother Jake. A Seattle native, he had been a mechanic at the Ford Plant in Bothell, Washington when he started the Harris fishing dynasty in the early 1960’s. Despite the fact that he had never been on a boat before, he knew it would increase his income, so he gave it a shot.

Grant Harris was born during the Depression. His father left before he was born. From the time of his birth,his mother worked long hours to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table, and it was from her example that the young Harris developed his work ethic and belief that hard work never hurt anybody.

In high school, he met and dated a pretty young lady named Phyllis. They later married and had their only son, Phillip Charles, born in 1956.

Grant and Phyllis had a happy life together until cancer took her at an early age. Devastated, the grieving husband decided to take Phil fishing with him. The Skipper said that he wouldn’t pawn his son off on relatives and Phil had already lost his beloved mother; he didn’t want his son to feel the loss of another parent. Grant worked it so they fished when Phil was out of school and home during the rest of the year.

Harris was a captain by then and fishing was a lot different than it is now. For instance, fishermen used to avoid the Bering Sea, favoring Kodiak instead. Crab pots were round and not square like they are now. Boats used to leave the dock without lights, cranes, survival suits or rafts. He fished before GPS and other electronic hardware that are staples of the fishing industry now.

What does it take to be a good captain? Harris says a person must always be aware of what’s going on in and around the vessel. Being a good leader is a must and to do that you have to know how to work and get along with all kinds of people. One has to know how to delegate, counsel, be firm but fair—and that’s when sailing is smooth.

A good captain is also a psychologist, doctor, mechanic, cook, cheerleader, disciplinarian, small business owner, accountant and teacher. When the weather gets hairy a good captain must keep a cool head while knowing the whereabouts of his crew, what’s happening in and with every part of the ship as well as equipment functions all-the-while trying to keep on the safest course possible while dealing with icebergs, winds in excess of 100mph, waves taller than buildings and yet somehow stay the course until the storm subsides.

This author saw the same mindset in the level one trauma surgeons she worked with in her days as a Certified Surgical Technologist. The responsibility is tremendous.

These days Captain Harris bides his time between North Dakota and Seattle. When in North Dakota he lives in a small, close-

With his grand-dog Dozer at the Seattle waterfront

knit community from spring until the fall. There, he has spent the last couple years building a large garage with bays for working on cars and other items. And although he had help putting the larger pieces of the structure up, he has taken the time to do a lot of his own electrical and finishing touches on the inside.

From late fall to early spring Grant spends his time in Lake Stevens, Washington. It is close to where Captain Phil lived, enabling the elder Harris to remain close to his son before his untimely death and to visit with his grandsons when they weren’t fishing or traveling. In his spare time Grant loves to see his great-granddaughter Kinsley, visit with friends and is in the process of restoring an old 1955 Ford truck. Phil’s friends also keep in touch with and look out for the father of their cherished friend.

When asked about Josh and Jake taking the helm of the F/V Cornelia Marie, Harris says he wishes them all the best. He hopes they do what it takes to properly care for the ship and her crew. That would mean putting in the hours of work necessary to learn as much as possible whether it is crab season or tendering in the summer. They certainly have big shoes to fill.

Grant says he watches and enjoys Deadliest Catch too. He will surely be watching tonight as the hit series kicks off its 10th season. Would he want to be on the show? Harris has been on After the Catch, a wrap-up show that airs at the end of Deadliest Catch’s TV season, but is otherwise happy right where he is.

This article is the copyrighted property of the writer and Communities Digital News, LLC. Written permission must be obtained before reprint in online or print media. REPRINTING CONTENT WITHOUT PERMISSION AND/OR PAYMENT IS THEFT AND PUNISHABLE BY LAW.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

"And lawmakers in at least 30 states are working to prevent what they say is an unconstitutional mandate forcing Americans to have health insurance...........Experts say none For the states, it's a question of individual rights. Many say Congress does not have the authority to require citizens to buy goods or services they may not want..........."Just by virtue of being a resident of the United States, never before in history have we been required to purchase something," said Brian Gottstein, a spokesman for Republican Virginia Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli II." ~ msnbc Monday, March 22, 2010

2010. At the beginning of every year we all wonder what it will bring.

Some folks enter the new year with tears of joy that the previous 365 day span of a living hell is finally over, and others are a bit saddened that a good year is coming to an end.

My gut told me on January 1 this is my year this year. How? I hadn't a clue. In addition to my kids and trying to make my marriage work took up most of my time in addition to my writing. I did, however, discover that my writing is good enough to be able to make a living at it. I'm delightedly greatful. The previous is not grammatically correct but it's what I feel in my heart.

Now a I have an idea of doing something I love to make a living. And I look forward to it too. Cool.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

About Me

I am a Writer and Mother of two teen-agers, have held a Texas Cosmetology License, Certification in Surgical Technology and decorated cakes professionally.My motto is that life is a banquet to be experienced and so go out there and learn and do as much as possible while here.Writing has always been part of me and thanks to the Communities Digital News I have got my chance to let my voice be heard on a large scale.My curiosity and writing lead me to create my column based on the “garbage in garbage out” theory to provide interesting and thought provoking pieces to enrich my readers as opposed to filling their minds with dross.I'm a proud member and treasurer for the Greater Fort Worth Writer’s Group and am currently working on my first novel.
Read more at: http://www.commdiginews.com/column/feed-the-mind-nourish-the-soul/